[SINGAPORE] Tech company Oracle has announced the launch of a new artificial intelligence (AI) Centre of Excellence in Singapore on Thursday (Mar 13).
It will not only provide concepts, but will also be a centre for collaboration and innovation, said Garrett Ilg, executive vice-president of Oracle Japan and Asia-Pacific.
“It is going to be specifically for customers… we are going to work together to understand the challenge, the desired innovation, the outcome and then we’re going to build it,” he told The Business Times.
The centre will provide:
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Training to upskill students and professionals in cloud and AI technologies, and
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Experimentation for organisations to test early AI innovations and for feasibility in operations.
Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng said: “To remain economically competitive, we need to build an agile and adaptable workforce that is equipped to leverage new technology effectively.”
There will be a dedicated team running the centre, and a number of ecosystem partners to help businesses on their AI journey. Partners include ST Engineering, Singtel’s NCS and NTUC LearningHub.
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Having partners is essential, said Ilg, adding that as technology gets bigger and broader, no one company can do it all alone.
“One of the things that partners bring is substantial relationships with the market, because they’re there for an array of reasons, from consultative to informative to execution,” he said.
The centre is for all companies from large enterprises to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with the same level of attention paid to projects for large enterprises to startups. Customers will also be able to choose the AI model they want for their application.
Dr Tan, who is also second minister for trade and industry, said: “SMEs because of the utilisation of whatever technologies you put out there, it actually drives the momentum and continues to give you a push.”
Outcomes will determine the success of the centre, said Ilg. Should customers walk away without a solution built for them, that would be deemed an unsuccessful outcome.
“The Centre of Excellence is going to bring to them technologies that are here and available now, (that) can be utilised,” he said.
